| **Basis Of Presentation**                                                           | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   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| **Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           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| Basis Of Presentation                                                               | BASIS OF PRESENTATIONPrinciples of Consolidation: The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of St. Jude Medical, Inc. (St. Jude Medical or the Company) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. generally accepted accounting principles) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, these statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at January 2, 2016 was derived from audited annual financial statements, but does not contain all of the footnote disclosures from the annual financial statements. Operating results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. Preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and footnotes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in its Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 7, 2016 for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2016. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and other entities for which St. Jude Medical has a controlling financial interest. Effective January 1, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors appointed a new President and Chief Executive Officer whom the Company has determined to be its Chief Operating Decision Maker. During the first quarter of 2016, the Company changed its sales reporting to closely align with how it manages the business in five key areas: Traditional Cardiac Rhythm Management, Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation, Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation. The Company continues to operate as a single operating segment.Reclassifications: Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.Fiscal Year: We utilize a 52/53-week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest December 31st. Each of the three-and nine month periods ended October 1, 2016 and October 3, 2015 included 13 weeks and 39 weeks, respectively.New Accounting Pronouncements: The following table provides a description of recent accounting pronouncements adopted and those standards not yet adopted with potential for a material impact on the Company's financial statements or disclosures.Standard Description Required adoption timing and approach Impact of adoption or other significant mattersStandards recently adopted    Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis The standard affects both the variable interest entity and voting interest entity consolidation models.  Annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with either retrospective or modified retrospective application permitted. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this ASU in the quarter ended April 2, 2016, using the modified retrospective method. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's results of operations or financial position.       ASU No. 2015-05, Intangibles--Goodwill and Other--Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement The standard provides guidance to customers about how to account for cloud computing arrangements when such arrangements include software licenses.  Annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with either prospective or retrospective application permitted. Early adoption was permitted. The Company adopted this ASU in the quarter ended April 2, 2016, using the prospective method. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's results of operations or financial position.       ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory The standard requires that inventory within the scope of the guidance be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with prospective application required. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this ASU in the quarter ended April 2, 2016. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's results of operations or financial position.       ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments The update includes amendments to eight specific cash flow presentation matters, including contingent consideration payments after a business combination. Annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with retrospective application required. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this ASU in the interim period ended October 1, 2016. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's cash flows.Standards not yet adopted    ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) The standard requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance will supersede the current revenue recognition requirements. Refer to ASU No. 2015-14 regarding the adoption timing.  Either retrospective or modified retrospective application is permitted. The Company plans to adopt this ASU for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is evaluating its approach to the adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial position.       ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date The standard defers the effective date of ASU No. 2014-09 to annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted only as of annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Not applicable. Not applicable.       ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities Among other things, the standard requires certain equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income, simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values, and eliminates certain disclosure requirements. Annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption of certain guidance is permitted. The Company is evaluating the timing of adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial position.       ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) Among other things, the standard requires recognition of a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in the statement of financial position for virtually all leases where we are the lessee. Annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with modified retrospective application required.  Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the timing of adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial position.       ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation--Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting The areas for simplification in this standard involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. Annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with certain aspects requiring modified retrospective transition, retrospective application, and/or prospective application. Early adoption is permitted if all aspects are adopted simultaneously. The Company is evaluating the timing of adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations, financial position and cash flows.       ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing Among other things, the standard clarifies the principle for determining whether a good or service is “separately identifiable” from other promises in the contract and, therefore, should be accounted for separately. It also clarifies that entities are not required to identify promised goods or services that are immaterial in the context of the contract. Refer to ASU No. 2015-14 regarding the adoption timing. Either retrospective or modified retrospective application is permitted. The Company plans to adopt this ASU for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is evaluating its approach to the adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial position.       ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory The standard requires the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory to be recognized when the transfer occurs. Annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with modified retrospective application required.  Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the timing of adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial position, which is expected to be material. |

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The entire disclosure for organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure.
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